Crossing Worlds
by Sanura Bey
Summary: Clark Kent wasn't the only person to find a new family the day of the meteor shower. Ashlee Potter always had issues growing up, but now things are weirder than ever.
1. Welcome to Smallville

I don't remember how I arrived here. My earliest memories are with the Lang's. Mom said I just walked to her and Lana out of nowhere and comforted the crying girl. The proof was in Time Magazine since it used to be one of their cover images. Mom tried finding out who my parents were, but when she couldn't find them she adopted me when she did Lana. They're the only family I'd ever known.

* * *

I sat in front of the school drawing in my sketch book while people walked around me talking and laughing. I was a loner, which was probably best. As I'd grown up I'd noticed different things about me from other kids, so I'd kept my distance from most. Except Lana and people she brought me with her to see.

"What are you working on?" Lana asked me and I showed her.

"Just drawing what I see." I told her.

"I wish I could do things like this." She said looking over some of the pages.

"If you'd taken the time to practice, then you could." I told her and she just smiled which soften the look she gave me.

"You sound like Nell." She said.

"Sadly, on this, she was right." I laughed.

"I was doing other things." She reminded me.

"I was doing other things too, remember?" I asked her. "Next reason?" I asked making her laugh.

"I don't have the patience for it, I guess." She told me.

"I'll accept that, for now." I told her and she smiled at me. "Any way we could avoid going to class today?" I asked her hopeful.

"I think Nell would actually skin us." She told me and I sighed.

"Yea, that sounds like mom. Nell the skinner. Or would be flayer?" I joked and she just shook her head at me.

"Why so into skipping class suddenly?" she asked me.

"Just have a weird feeling." I told her. She gave me a worried look and I just shook my head. "Forget it, it's probably just cause of what your friends like to do to the freshmen of our class."

"You mean the myth of the scarecrow?" she asked me.

"Of course," I told her. "It's not safe being a fish in these waters."

"It's just a rumor. Nothing true." She told me and I tossed her a look.

"So says the girl who will never get picked for it because of a certain jock who happens to be her boyfriend."

"Whitney wouldn't do that to anyone." She told me and I shook my head.

"Sometimes you amaze me, Lana." I told her. "So eager to see the best in people."

"And you're eager to see the worst?" she asked me and I shook my head.

"No, but…" Suddenly, Clark Kent fell to the ground, scattering his books everywhere next to us. Lana and I bent to help him get his stuff gathered together as he tried to get himself up.

"Neitzsche. Didn't realize you had a dark side, Clark." Lana said handing the book back to a hunched over Clark.

"Doesn't everybody?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I guess so." She agreed. "So what are you? Man or superman?"

"I haven't figured it out yet." He confessed.

"Lana there you are." We turned to see Whitney coming towards us. He and Lana shared a kiss as Clark and I picked up his stuff.

"Hey, Clark, Ashlee." He greeted before turning to his girlfriend. "I was wondering if you could do me a humongous favor. Could you check over my English paper? I didn't finish it until 2:00 AM. So, I'm not too sure about the ending."

"I'm sure it's great." She told him.

"Dude, are you feeling all right? You look like you're about to… to hurl." Whitney pointed out to him.

"I'm fine." Clark insisted before the three of us started for the building. Whitney picked up one of the books and looked back to Clark.

"You forgot one, Clark." Whitney tossed him the book. Clark moved to catch it, dropping all the rest of his books and ended up back on the ground as the bell rang.

* * *

I was walking home after school, not up to waiting for Whitney and Lana's practice to be done when I heard something splash into the water. I assumed it was just some kids diving from the bridge until I made my way to it. The metal railing was busted, but I saw no car. I dropped my bag and dove into the water to see Clark pulling a bald guy from a car and went to help him. I grabbed his other arm and helped get him ashore before starting CPR.

"Come on!" Clark said as he watched.

"Don't die!" I commanded when I came up for air and he coughed before spitting up water. He coughed some more before opening his eyes to look at us.

"I could have sworn I hit you." He told Clark.

"If you did, I'd be… I'd be dead." Clark told him before looking behind him at the bridge and mangled, broken railing.

* * *

Within a few hours, paramedics had given the three of us red blankets as State Troopers combed the area.

"Why was I given a blanket?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well, you never know, Ashlee. You could go into shock." Clark said and I threw him a look.

"Yes, I might go into shock at jumping into the river to save someone." I said sarcastically and he smiled at me.

"Clark!" Clark and I turned to see Mr. Kent making his way to us. "Son, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Clark told him.

"Ashlee, you okay?" Mr. Kent asked me.

"Yea, I'm good." I told him.

"Who's the maniac that was driving that car?" Mr. Kent shouted at one of the troopers.

"That would be me." The guy I'd performed CPR on said, with his own red blanket draped over his shoulders. "Lex Luthor." He introduced, extending his hand to Mr. Kent to shake. Mr. Kent looked him up and down, ignoring the hand.

"I'm Jonathan Kent. This is my son and his friend." Mr. Kent introduced simply taking off his jacket and putting around my shoulders.

"Thanks for saving my life." Lex told us.

"I just pulled you out of the water. Let's be glad Ashlee knew CPR or you'd be in real trouble." Clark told him standing up. Both he and Lex offered me their hands to help me up and I took both before rising to my feet.

"It's no big. I'm sure Clark could have improvised." I said before Mr. Kent ushered us towards his truck.

"You have quite an extraordinary boy and friend there, Mr. Kent. If there is any way I can repay you…" Lex dropped off and Mr. Kent turned to him.

"Drive slower." Mr. Kent told him before we continued our way to his truck. I grabbed my bag before joining them in the truck.

* * *

To say I got the speech of a lifetime when I got home was an understatement. Mom had heard about the accident and I got the hour-long lecture of watching where I was walking and not endangering myself.

"I don't think you heard the right story." I told her. "I was nowhere near the accident until I dove in after Lex and Clark."

"Lex?" she asked me and I nodded. "Lex Luthor?"

"Do we know anyone else named Lex?" I asked her and she sighed at the sarcasm.

"Go get your homework done. I'm ordering pizza tonight before I go the see Mr. Luthor." She told me. I nodded before going to my room.

* * *

The next day, after school, I came home to see a nice car sitting outside the house. I walked inside to see Mom in the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom! We have company?" I asked her confused at the lack of people.

"No. Lex Luthor had it delivered for you." She told me and I threw her a confused look.

"Why?" I asked her.

"It's a gift for saving him." she told me before showing me a card. I looked at it to see a large LL on the cover before opening.

"Dear Ashlee. Drive safely. Only wish I could do more. Always in your debt. Lex." I read. "Seriously?" I asked looking back outside at the car. "Please tell me I get to keep it?" I begged.

"Well, it would save for when I have to buy one for you and Lana later." She told me and I grinned. "Besides, it's not like we can just say no to a gift like this from the Luthor family." She handed me the keys and I pocketed them before rushing upstairs to finish my homework so I could go into town.

* * *

After my homework was done, Clark called the house and asked me to meet him at Luthor Manor. We went through the gate and walked into the deserted house.

"Hello?" Clark called out as we looked around. We walked into a room, and suddenly we saw two people fencing. We watched with surprise as one combatant pinned the other to the wall. In frustration, the pinned combatant threw the sword across the room, at the wall between me and Clark. The sword embedded in the wall by his head and we stared at it in shock. I looked to the combatant to see Lex.

"Clark? Ashlee?" he asked confused. "I didn't see you."

"Kinda guessed that one." I said staring at the sword.

"We… Uh... buzzed but no one answered." Clark told him. Lex walked over to us and grabbed the sword before pulling it out of the wall.

"How'd you get through the gate?"

"We kinda squeezed through the bars." Clark told him. If this is a bad time…"

"Oh, no, no. I think Hykia has sufficiently kicked my ass for the day." Lex said walking back to her and tossing her his mask.

"This is a great place." Clark complimented.

"Yeah? If you're dead and in the market for something to haunt." Lex added.

"It beats the high school." I said making Lex smirk.

"I meant, it's roomy." Clark defended himself before we followed Lex out of the room and into the hallway.

"It's the Luthor ancestral home, or so my father claims. He had it shipped over from Scotland stone by stone." Lex told us.

"Yeah, I remember trucks rolled through town for weeks but on one ever moved in." Clark said. Lex stopped as he ascended the staircase to the second floor, and turned back to look down at us.

"My father had no intention of living here. He's never even stepped through the front door." Lex told us.

"Then why go through the time and money to ship it?" I asked him.

"Because he could." Lex said before he continued going upstairs. We walked into a room with workout equipment in it and a fire blazing in the fireplace as Lex pulled off his white fencing jacket, revealing a black shirt underneath.

"How's the new ride?" he asked us.

"That's why we're here." Clark told him as Lex crossed the room, throwing the fencing jacket. He placed a towel around his neck and went to a table with beverages and fruit.

"What's the matter? You don't like it?" Lex asked.

"No, it's not that. I can't keep it." Clark told him. Lex paused as if irritated at the thought of Clark saying no to a gift he obviously couldn't afford on his own.

"And you?" Lex asked me.

"Oh, I'm just giving him a ride back to the farm after this. I'm keeping mine." I told him.

"Clark, you saved my life. I think the least I can do is repay you somehow." Lex told him and Clark looked down. "Your father doesn't like me, does he?" Clark took a breath as if he was about to say something, but Lex stopped him. "It's okay. I've been bald since I was nine. I'm used to people judging me before they get to know me."

"It's nothing personal. He's just not crazy about your dad." Clark defended.

"Figures the apple doesn't fall far from the tree?" Lex asked and Clark nodded. "Understandable. "What about you two? Did you fall far from the tree?"

"Adopted." I told him. "I never knew the bio parents so no tree to come from." Clark didn't answer, just looked at his feet before looking back up to Lex.

"I better go. Thanks for the truck." Clark handed the keys to the truck to Lex before we turned to leave.

"Clark! Ashlee!" we turned back to Lex. "Do you believe a man can fly?"

"Sure. In a plane." Clark answered.

"No, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about soaring through the clouds with nothing but air beneath you." Lex told us.

"I wish." I told him smiling.

"People can't fly, Lex." Clark reminded him.

"I did. After the accident, when my heart stopped. It was the most exhilarating two minutes of my life. I flew over Smallville, and for the first time, I didn't see a dead end. I saw a new beginning. Thanks to the two of you, I have a second chance." Clark looked down at Lex's thanks.

"We have a future! And I don't want anything to stand in the way of our friendship." Lex told him and I smiled at him.

* * *

The next day, I was sitting out front when I noticed Clark walking out. He looked confused, sad and angry all at once before Whitney grabbed his shoulder.

"Chloe, just leave me alone." Clark said before turning to see Whitney.

"Congratulations, Clark. You're this year's scarecrow." Whitney told him. Angrily, Clark knocked Whitney's grip off him.

"Don't mess with me right now." Clark told him.

"Come on." Whitney pushed. "Bring it on." Whitney pulled off his jacket and Clark went to punch him but missed. Whitney threw him to the ground and grabbed him by the shirt.

"What's going on with you and Lana?" Whitney growled.

"Nothing." Clark told him.

"Like her necklace?" Whitney asked ripping the necklace Lana had loaned to him. "Good. Cause this is as close as you're ever going to get to her." He tied the necklace around Clark's neck before he and his jock buddies picked him up.

"Leave him alone Whitney!" I shouted at him. I tried shoving him away from Clark, but two of his buddies grabbed me and pinned my arms behind my back.

"I say we add to the tradition since Clark's girlfriend wants to join him so much." One of the guys said.

"Let me go!" I demanded, but Whitney just looked me over.

"Put her in." he told them.

"No!" I shouted. "Let me go!"

* * *

When we got to a cornfield, they stripped Clark and spray painted a red 'S' on his chest. While some of the guys started tying Clark up, the others started stripping me down to my bra and panties.

"Get off me!" I fought them, but 5 against 1 was exactly even odds. They tied me to the same pole as Clark before putting it up right. I tried getting out of the ropes, knowing I'd have serious rope burn.

It was nightfall before I'd stopped fighting after noticing the blood coming from my ropes.

"It never changes." A voice said from Clark's side.

"Help me." Clark begged.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" the guy asked.

"You- You're… You're Jeremy." Clark said.

"I thought if I punished them it would stop. But it never stops." Jeremy said.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Clark asked him.

"Homecoming dance. I never made it to mine." Jeremy told us.

"Get us down. Please." Clark begged him.

"You're safer here." Jeremy told him. Clark didn't reply to him so I assumed he'd walked off.

"Help!" I called out, trying to lure him back. "Don't leave us!"

"Clark?" I heard Lex say after sometime.

"Lex?" I asked and he moves to see me.

"Aw, jeez." Lex rushed and started to get us down. "Who did this to you?"

"Doesn't matter." Clark told him weakly before falling to the ground. I soon followed, but Lex managed to catch me before I hit the ground. He took off his jacket and gave it to me so I could cover up. I looked up to see Clark jump over to the pile of clothes.

"Clark, you need to see a doctor. Both of you do." Lex told us.

"I'll be okay." Clark dismissed before rushing off through the cornstalks.

"Well, at least let me give you a ride!" Lex called out before looking for him with his flashlight. I moved to my clothes and quickly pulled them on before handing Lex, who was kneeling on the ground, his jacket.

"Thanks." I said smiling slightly. He took the jacket and I tried to lower my hands quickly, but he grabbed my arm and studied my wrists.

"I'm taking you to the hospital." He told me before pulling me with him.

"No, I'll be okay." I told him quickly. I hated hospitals plus I didn't want to worry Nell and Lana.

"Come on." He insisted.

"I don't want to worry Lana and Nell. Please." I begged him. He just sighed before nodding. "Where are we going?" I asked him.

"I'm going to take you to my place and call a doctor to treat you." He told me and I started to say something when he started talking again. "No calling Nell. No documents." He told me and I sighed before agreeing. He drove me to his place before doing as he said and calling the doctor. We didn't have to wait long before the doctor showed up and started looking me over. He wrapped my wrists up and gave me some pain killers before Lex took me back to the school so I could get my car and go home.


	2. Metamorphosis

After the dance, Lana found me in my room sitting on my bed looking at my wrists.

"Hey, didn't see you at the dance." She said and I smiled at her.

"Something came up." I told her hiding my hands under my blanket. "Congrats on winning homecoming queen." She smiled and pulled off her tiara.

"Thanks." She said smiling down at it. She turned and went for her room with me behind her. She placed the tiara in a drawer full of crowns, ribbons and trophies.

"Why don't you display those anymore?" I asked her.

"I don't know." She said. "Just didn't seem that important." She took a gold box off her bed and opened it. Butterflies flew out and we watched them fly around her room.

* * *

The next morning, I went to the farmer's market with Lana and Whitney, my wrists covered in bangles. I wasn't happy about having Whitney around me, but there wasn't much I could do about it either. When we got there, we walked around and talked until we came across the Kent's booth.

"All hail the Homecoming king and queen." Chloe said as we approached.

"Clark, I didn't see you at the dance last night." Lana noted.

"Oh, I was..." Clark looked at Whitney before answering. "A little tied up."

"You and Ash should have gone together." Lana noted. "She didn't make an appearance either."

"Hey. Congratulations. That was one heck of a game. I haven't seen an offense that good since I played." Mr. Kent said to Whitney.

"Thank you, Mr. Kent." Whitney beamed at the compliment.

"I'm going to get the rest of the boxes out of the trunk." Clark said.

"I'll help." Whitney said following Clark.

"Lana. Ashlee." Mr. Kent handed us each an apple.

"Thank you." Lana said smiling at him as I bit into the apple. Lana went to go look at a booth while I wandered in a different direction.

"Good to see you still in one piece." I turned to see Lex behind me.

"Hey, I didn't know you'd be here." I said.

"I just wanted to see what the community has to offer." He said smirking at me.

"Or you heard the Kent's have a booth." I suggested.

"It's my first week in this town and I just want to know all the local hangouts." He told me.

"Sure." I said, obviously not believing him.

"How's your wrists?" he asked.

"Fine." I answered going to another booth.

"Who did that to you?" he asked me and I shook my head.

"It's just a prank the jocks to around here." I told him.

"A prank that could have killed you and Clark." He reminded me. "Tell me who did it."

"Drop it." I told him. "It' done now."

"Ash, Whitney's ready to go." Lana called to me and I nodded to her.

"I'll be right there." I told her before turning back to Lex. "See you around."

* * *

It wasn't long after Whitney dropped us off that we heard he was in the hospital. He ran into a tree and his truck ended up exploding.

"Whitney's gonna be all right. He's got a couple of cuts and bruises but nothing serious." Mom told us and Lana breathed a sigh of relief.

"Does he know what happened?" Lana asked her.

"All he knows is that something smashed his truck and he woke up in the ambulance thanks to Clark Kent." Mom told us.

"Looks like he's making a habit of saving people." I joked.

"Is Clark okay?" Lana asked her aunt.

"He's fine. Not a scratch on him." Mom assured her

"Don't worry Lana." I told her. "Looks like your boys are made of steel."

"They're not my boys." She said and I gave her a small look. "I'm dating Whitney and…"

"And everyone knows Clark would do anything for you." I said. "Come on, you haven't noticed the way he looks at you?"

"Well, you have, apparently." She said sounding annoyed.

"Everyone has, except you." I noted.

"I'm going to go see Whitney." She told us leaving quickly.

"Or maybe she has." I said under my breath.

"You need to stop teasing your cousin." Mom told me.

"Oh, come on, you're telling me you haven't noticed either?" I asked her.

"I don't see the Kent's all that often, you know that." She told me.

"That's cause you're still in love with Jonathan Kent." I noted and she gave me an irritated look. "Is it my fault I use my eyes?"

"It will be if you keep saying things like that." She told me. "Room. Now."

"But mom…!"

"Room." She said and I grabbed my stuff before going up to my room.

* * *

The next day at school, I was grabbing my book from my locker when I overheard Lana and Whitney talking.

"Where were you before the game on Saturday?" she asked him.

"Can we talk about this later?" Whitney asked her.

"It's a simple question, Whitney." She stated.

"I was warming up." He lied. Well, he might not have technically been lying, but he wasn't telling her the whole truth.

"So, you didn't grab Clark and Ashlee and hang them up in a field?" she asked him.

"Lana, it was just a prank." Lana tried assuring her.

"Could I please have my necklace back?" she asked him, ignoring his words.

"I lost it." He finally told her.

"Were you planning on telling me? Or was that a prank too?" she asked him before walking away from him.

"You know, if you quit being the jealous boyfriend and starting being supportive boyfriend, she might not get so mad about you doing stupid things." I told him and he gave me a look.

"What would you know?" he asked me harshly. "You've never had a boyfriend in your life."

"Cause I don't want one like you." I said before shrugging and walking away from him.

The next day at school, I walked to the torch and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Ashlee, what brings you to our corer of the world?" Chloe asked me with a smile.

"I was hoping to work here?" I asked. "I figured joining a club or doing something extracurricular wouldn't hurt me and I wanted to try and make at least some friends in high school. Plus I know you guys."

"Um, sure. Why not." She said smiling. "Walk with me and we'll find you something you can write about."

"Ok." I said smiling at her. We walked through the halls talking about the different columns she was thinking of adding and what a good fit for me would be when Clark joined us.

"Chloe. Ashlee." He greeted.

"Hey." She greeted smiling at him.

"Is Greg Arkin still the science reporter for the Torch?" he asked her.

"Well, if your definition of a reporter is someone who actually turns in articles, then no. Greg hasn't shown his face in the office for like week." She told him.

"I've got to find him." he told us.

"What's the sudden interest in Greg? You coming out the entomology closet?" she asked him.

"It's nothing. I'll catch up with you later." He told her starting to rush off.

"I hate it when you do that." She told him.

"Do what?" he asked her confused.

"Just shut me out. It's like one minute you're here and then the next you're gone. Clark, you're not outgrowing me as a friend are you?" she asked him and he smiled at her.

"Chloe, I could never outgrow you. Other than vertically." He joked making her laugh.

"It's amazing how fat that Kent charm will get you. Now, what' up with Greg?" she asked him.

"I think he's turned into some sort of bug boy." He told us.

"A bug boy?" I asked him skeptically.

"Greg attacked me and my dad and he hid by crawling on the ceiling." Clark told us.

"Well, that's not weird at all." I said sarcastically.

"Maybe he was exposed to the blast from the meteor shower." Clark suggested.

"Let's go see what we can find." Chloe said and we went back to the Torch so we could find anything that sounded remotely similar as they explained about the Wall of Weird.

* * *

"I found an article about Amazonian tribesmen who took on the traits of the insects they'd been bitten by, but nothing as extreme as what you're talking about. Did you have any luck?" Chloe asked me.

"Only that Greg didn't move to Smallville until after the meteor shower, so he couldn't have been exposed to the blast." I told them.

"Yeah, but his bugs could have been." Chloe said and Clark gave her a look. "Think about it, Clark. Pieces of that meteor are still buried all over Smallville. The whole habitat's infected."

"So, when boy catches bugs and bugs bite boy, you end up with bug boy." I said following her logic.

"Look, Chloe, you can't even walk out your door in the summertime without being bitten by a mosquito. Why don't we have a whole town of bug people?" Clark asked her.

"Uh, because you need a certain level of toxins to cause mutation. Those Amazonian tribesmen were all attacked by swarms." She explained.

"Greg did keep tanks of bugs in his room. Maybe they got tired of the view and stage a revolt." He joked.

"Well, according to this, bugs have a very short life cycle. So, if he really has gone Kafka, let's hope he isn't in the mating phase." Chloe said.

"And if he is, let's hope he hasn't found a mate." I added.

* * *

Later that day, Clark, Chloe, Pete and I were looking in through a window at Greg's house.

"It doesn't look like anyone's home." Chloe said.

"The place is a mess. Remember what a neat freak Greg's mom was?" Pete asked Clark.

"Yeah, she used to make us take off our shoes. One time I forgot and she yelled at me." Clark told us.

"Is that what broke up the friendship?" Chloe asked him.

"After 7th grade, Greg's parents got divorced and he just sopped calling after that." Clark said.

"Which sucked because he had a killer tree fort his dad built in the woods." Pete told us.

"It was okay." Clark countered.

"Clark never liked it. He used to get dizzy just walking over there." Pete teased.

"How come?" Chloe asked him.

"He was afraid of heights." Pete said.

"I didn't believe it was structurally sound." Clark countered as Chloe opened a window.

"You guys, come here."

* * *

We made our way through the house taking pictures of what seemed like it would lead us to Greg.

"Oh man, that's disgusting." I heard Pete say from the bathroom before joining them. "What is it?"

"I think it's skin. He must be molting." Clark said and I made a disgusted face at the pile of skin in the tub.

"You guys better come in here! Guys?" Chloe called to us.

"Oh man. Looks like you're not the only one in Smallville with the hots for Lana." Pete said as we watched a video of me and Lana on a screen. On another screen was another video of just Lana. Pictures of Lana with her family and friends covered random surfaces.

"I think Greg's found his mate." Chloe said. "Clark, what do you see?" we turned to see Clark going to a thicker set of webbing.

"I'm not sure." He said.

"Clark, be careful." Pete told him.

"I don't like this." Chloe said and I took a deep breath. Clark pulled the webs apart and a women fell out, her face shriveled.

"Lana!" Clark exclaimed before we left the house. Clark and I got into my car as Chloe and Pete got into his.

"Where would Lana be right now?" Clark asked me.

"Riding." I told him. "Hold on." I sped to the stables and we quickly jumped out to try and find Lana.

"Lana! Lana!" Clark and I called out to see Whitney getting up.

"Greg's got her." He told us.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. Greg threw me against the wall like it was nothing, then grabbed Lana. I've never seen somebody that strong before." Whitney told us.

"Which way did he go?" Clark asked him.

"He headed off into the woods." Whitney said.

"I think I know where he's going." Clark told us.

"Great, I'll drive." Whitney told him as we all started walking to his truck.

"You know the old Creekside Foundry?" Clark asked him.

"The one that got hit with the meteor shower?" Whitney asked.

"Follow the dirt track about a hundred yards back. There's a tree fort in the woods." Clark instructed.

"How do you know he's there?" Whitney asked him.

"Greg used to collect bugs there when we were kids." Clark told us as we got into the truck.

"Look, Kent, I want to apologize." Whitney started saying, but Clark was gone. "Where'd he go?"

"I've no clue." I told him before he started the truck and went the way Clark told him too.

"Ashlee, I'm sorry about yesterday." He apologized.

"Don't do that." I told him.

"Ash…"

"Don't call me Ash, either." I told him. "You'll have to earn that right."

* * *

When we got to the tree fort we made a beeline for Lana who was covered in the webs like Greg's mother. As we moved the webs away from Lana's face she started to wake up.

"Hey. It's okay, it's okay. It's me." Whitney told her.

"Whitney..." Lana said. "Ash…"

"Hey, you're safe." I told her with a smile on my face. "You're safe." Whitney picked her up and started carrying her out.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." He told her. We got her out of the fort and took her home.

* * *

 **So I know Ashlee hasn't been in any action scenes yet, and she will be. I promise. I just wanted to get her to a certain point before doing so. Hope ou guys enjoyed.**


	3. Hot Head

I sat with my mom in the stands for the big game. I was annoyed we had to sit in the rain, and I made sure both mom and Lana knew about it. But, here I was, sitting in the bleachers soaked, rain gear means nothing when your cold, supporting my cousin and my school. Go me. I watched with everyone as Whitney dropped back to make a pass, patting the ball as he looked around. An opposing player broke through the line, but was tackled by our side. Whitney turned and ran and was tackled by another opponent making me cringe in pain. The coach called Whitney to the sides as the cheerleaders did their routine. I shook my head at the obvious harsh treatment the coach used before Whitney went back to the field. Both teams lined up for another play and, to me, it looked like Whitney was going to do the same thing as before. I watched him avoid a tackle before running forward and throwing the pass a second before being tackled by an opponent. The receiver jumped to make the catch and splashed to the muddy, soggy ground. Whitney had made a touchdown. Everyone screamed to celebrate the triumph before packing up and going home. Mom and I waited for Lana by the car who joined us once she'd collected all her things.

"Don't they normally cancel these things when there's bad weather?" I asked Lana once we got the car, and heater, going.

"Principal Kwan wanted to cancel, but Coach Walt told him they could play and win." Lana told us.

"Well, he was right." Mom said smiling.

"Yes, making people play in the rain while their families watch is the highlight of my day." I said sarcastically. "Be lucky if no one gets sick from sitting out there as long as we did."

"Everyone will be fine." Mom sighed and scoffed making her toss me a look.

"Ok, ok. I'll stop." I said raising my hands in defeat.

* * *

I was walking with Clark, Chloe, and Pete the day after the game with Clark holding a copy of the newest edition of the Torch.

"Football: Sport or Abuse?" Clark read off the page.

"So, what do you think?" Chloe asked him.

"I think you need to seriously decrease your Cappuccino dependency." He joked since she was holding a coffee in her hands making Pete laugh.

"Pete thinks I'm being too hard on Coach Walt." Chloe told him.

"The man coached my dad, all my brothers. He used to come over and watch the Super Bowl." Pete told us.

"You make me glad I'm not a guy or have a dad." I told him.

"Now, while I'm touched by that Hallmark moment, you don't get points for subtlety in journalism. I've already started getting hate mail." Chloe told us happily.

"You seem very happy about that. Why?" Clark asked her.

"Because it means I'm hitting a nerve. Besides, between the abysmal sentence structure and generous use of obscenities, I've got a pretty good idea of who's been sending it." Chloe said.

"If you think my teammates are reading the Torch, you're giving them way too much credit." Pete told her.

"Don't you even care about this?" I turned to see Lana and Whitney arguing.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Whitney told her grinning and shrugging it off.

"You don't think it's a big deal?" Lana asked him incredulously. "I think it's a big deal." She stormed away from him past us.

"Whoo! There's something you don't see every day! A pompom meltdown." Chloe laughed as a group of football players exited the building. "Ooh, ooh, here they come! Pete, I need a picture of the cheating jockstraps." She told him and he took a camera off his shoulder. We watched as the jocks and cheerleaders gathered around Coach Walt.

"Any idea how they got that midterm, Chloe?" Clark asked her.

"It's still a mystery, but I'm working on it." She said taking a picture of them. Suddenly, one of the football players threw a football at Chloe's head. Clark caught it right before it could hit her face, just as she was about to duck, in a show of super reflexes. We looked to Clark in amazement and shock.

"Ooh, nice catch!" Pete told him patting him on the back and grinning.

"One of your teammates attempts to assassinate me, and all you say is "nice catch"?" Chloe asked him walking away.

"I thought you wanted to hit a nerve?" Pete asked following her.

"Yea, I don't think that was the nerve she was wanting to hit." I told him as Clark threw the football back to the jock so hard, the kid doubled over as the ball hit him in the stomach. The bell rang and I pulled Clark with me to class.

* * *

After school, I was with Lana in her bedroom watching her fold her cheerleading uniform.

"You realize Mom is going to freak, right?" I asked her.

"It's my choice." She told me.

"Yeah, I know that, but she's still going to freak." I said right before said woman walked in. "Speak of the devil…" I said.

"Haha." She said. "Lana, you're home early. Did they cancel cheerleading practice?"

"Sort of." She said. "I quit."

"Here it comes." I sang and Lana sent me a look.

"You loved being on the squad!" Nell said going to her concerned. "What happened?"

"I just think there's more to life than memorizing cheers and shaking pompoms." Lana told her.

"You just decided this out of the blue?" Mom asked.

"Some of the football players were caught cheating, guys I know. When I told Whitney how upset it made me, he said it was no big deal, that people aren't perfect." Lana told us as she put the box with her cheerleading outfit in the bottom of her closet. "I thought, "Why am I doing this, wearing a fake smile and stupid outfit for people who will do anything to win a game?"

"Well, you can't let a couple of bad apples spoil the experience." Mom told her sitting on the bed next to me. "You're part of a team. You're making friends."

"Aunt Nell, I don't want to go back. I want to try different things. What's wrong with that?" Lana asked her.

"Nothing. It's just that you're on a good track. I want you to be happy. What are you gonna do with this newfound freedom?" Mom asked her.

"I thought I'd get a job. Something part-time. Earn some extra money so I can go travel in the summer." Lana said sitting on the bed next to Nell.

"Well, I suppose I could always use some help around the shop." Mom told her.

"Thanks, but I'm not looking for help. I want to do this on my own." Lana said.

"I hear the Beanery is looking for people." I told her and she smiled at me.

"Thanks." She stared at me for a moment causing me to look at her confused.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"I guess that's my que to leave you two alone." Mom said looking between us before leaving the room.

"Well, what do you want to say?" I asked her laying back on her bed.

"I heard about what happened on Homecoming." She told me and I looked at her from the corner of my eye. "Whitney shouldn't have done that to you or Clark."

"No, he shouldn't have but it's done." I said sitting back up and staring at her. "Who told you what happened?"

"Lex dropped some hints and I figured the rest." She told me and I shook my head.

"He should have stayed out of it." I said to no one in particular.

"He was just being a good friend." She told me.

"It isn't his job." I said.

"You aren't going to... do anything, are you?" She asked me and I sighed.

"Do you think I should?" I asked her.

"Of course not." She told me before looking away quickly.

"Are you afraid of me?" I asked her sadly.

"Why would I be afraid of you?" She asked me still looking away.

"Then why won't you look at me?" I asked her.

"Because I'm busy putting all this old cheerleading stuff away." I just smiled before shaking my head and leaving her room.

* * *

The next day after school, I was staying late to finish up my piece for the newest Torch. Believe it or not I was having fun in the club with Clark, Pete, and Chloe. The deadlines weren't fun, but take the good with the bad, right? Chloe gave me a pretty easy column to start with, so that was good. I just wanted to make sure everything was up to my perfectionist standards. Can't have my name on something I don't like. I hadn't realized the time passing me so quickly until I looked outside to see it was already dark. It's times like these I'm glad I kept that car from Lex. I finally printed off my work and placed it on Chloe's desk before looking out the window to see Principal Kwan walking to his car. I grabbed my stuff and made my way out of the school when I saw Pete running back inside. I quickly went to see what was happening only to see Clark pull Kwan from his car and carry him away before the car exploded. I ran to Clark and Kwan to put out some of the fires on both of them while healing what I could discreetly. That was one of the few abilities I'd learned about myself over the years. I could heal others completely. I could heal myself also, but it was slower.

"Are you okay." I asked Clark while trying to help Kwan.

"I don't know. By the time Pete and I saw him, his car was on fire and he was out." Clark told me while staring at me. "Why are you still here?"

"I was working on my piece for the Torch." I told him before looking back at the car. The drivers side door was completely torn off the vehicle and I looked to Clark. He was the only one who could have done it, but how? Adrenaline rush? Or something else?

"What?" He asked me, but I just shook my head before doing my best to heal Kwan.

* * *

By the time I got home, the news of what had happened to Kwan had reached my mom's ears thanks to Mrs. Kent.

"Are you out of your mind?" Mom asked me. No hugs, no 'thank god your alright's just my mom nearly yelling at me. "What were you thinking even staying at the school this late?"

"I stayed late to work on my paper for the Torch." I told her.

"Why couldn't you just work on it here at home?" She asked me.

"The lack of a computer could be the key reason." I told her.

"We have a computer." She told me.

"That everyone else uses for either work or school. Besides I have all my stuff saved on the school hard drive so it was easier to access." I explained. Don't get me wrong, I get why she's freaking out I just didn't get why I was being yelled at. "What's the big deal anyway?"

"You used them? Didn't you?" She asked me and I finally understood the yelling.

"How do you know that?" She asked me.

"My healing powers aren't showy." I tried explaining. "It's not like my hands glow or something."

"I just want you to be careful. We don't know what could happen if someone found out about your abilities." She reminded me.

"I know mom. And I'm trying to be careful. I even left some burns on Kwan so no one would think he'd been healed supernaturally. Not that I'd think they'd automatically jump to that conclusion, but I was careful." I told her.

* * *

Later that night, I was walking with Clark, Pete and Chloe outside the Beanery.

"You guys, it doesn't make sense. Cars don't just spontaneously combust." Chloe told us.

"The cops said it was faulty wiring." Clark told her.

"I've already got my headline: Jockstrap Save Principal From Burning Car." Chloe told us as we walked inside.

"Will you lay off the jockstraps thing?" Pete asked her.

"I still can't believe Clark's been blinded by the Friday night lights." Chloe said.

"I joined the football team, not a cult." Clark said.

"The way those guys go on it might be a cult." I told them.

"Thank you Ashlee. Next I'm gonna be joining the pompom brigade." Chloe said right before Lana past us.

"I hear there's a spot open." Lana said walking past us with a tray in her hands.

"Lana, what are you doing here?" Clark asked her.

"Taking your order, I hope." she told him.

"W-what is this? Some sort of cheerleading charity, like be a waitress for a night sort of thing?" Chloe asked her shocked.

"Yes, it is, except for the cheerleading and charity parts, and tips are always appreciated." Lana told her, placing the tray on a table.

"So you're a waitress for real?" Clark asked her as she served the drinks.

"Even got the perky name tag to prove it." she told him showing off her name tag.

"First day?" Pete asked.

"Ever." Lana added.

"Where's your necklace?" Clark asked her.

"Strict dress code no jewelry and no open-toes shoes." she told him.

"You look very waitress-like." Clark complimented.

"Now, if I could only tell the difference between a half-caf decaf and a non-fat late." Lana said backing towards the counter.

"In that case, I'll have a regular coffee." Chloe ordered.

"Hey, times four." Pete told her as he, Chloe and I sat down at a booth. Chloe turned with the tray in her hands and Clark took it from her before running to give it to Lana.

"Clark Kent is a football player and Lana Lang is a waitress." Chloe said as we watched the pair talk.

"What's the matter with that?" Pete asked her.

"Nothing. I just wanna click my heels and get back to reality." Chloe told him.

"It is a bit Twilight Zone, isn't it?" I asked. We turned when the door opened to see Trevor, Clark and Pete's fellow football player, enter the shop and nod a hello to Pete. He went to a group of football players and started talking to them.

"Coach needs to see us on the field right now." Trevor told them and they all got up to leave.

"What's up with your fallen brethren?" Chloe asked throwing a confused look to Pete.

"I don't know." Pete told her and she jumped up and grabbed her coat.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Chloe told us.

"I'll come with you." I said rushing after her past Clark.

"Chloe? Ashlee?" Clark called to us.

"Relax, we'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Chloe asked as we rushed towards the door, past Lana who was holding a tray of drinks.

* * *

Chloe and I followed the football players to the field and watched from the bleachers as they stood in the middle of the sprinklers. We watched Coach Walt pace between them. We knew they were talking, but I couldn't hear anything.

"Can you hear what they're saying?" I asked her quietly.

"No, means we'll need to talk to one of the players." she told me taking pictures.

"Who you want to talk to?" I asked her. Suddenly, Coach Walt hit Trevor across the face, knocking him to the ground. The water shooting from the sprinklers also turned into fire.

"What the hell?" Chloe asked taking pictures.

"We need to find out how that's happening." I told her looking at the new light show.

"I think Trevor's our guy." she told me as the coach walked away with fire still all over the place.

* * *

The next day at the pep rally, I was with Chloe waiting for Trevor as everyone else was crowded by the bonfire, cheerleaders cheering, and the mascot running round. Chloe hit my arm and I looked to see her smiling at something. I turned to see Trevor before following her to him.

"Why did you call me? What do you want?" Trevor asked her.

"I want to know if Coach Walt supplied the players with the tests." Chloe asked her.

"Look, if you don't wanna get hurt, just leave this alone." Trevor told us looking nervous.

"Look, you can talk to me now or later. Either way, this picture's going to be on the font page of tomorrow's Torch." Chloe told him showing him one of the photo's she'd taken yesterday.

"Just leave me alone." Trevor glared before rushing away.

"Well that was a bust." I said.

"Yea, but at least we know who our squeaky wheel is." she told me before we headed inside.

* * *

In the Torch office Chloe and I began working on the next Torch. She was just putting the picture of the team meeting in the middle of the fire sprinklers when the computer suddenly burst into flame. Chloe and I jumped back to towards the window to get away from the fire, but it seemed to follow us across the room, spreading quickly across the floor. Chloe turned to the window an opened it before yelling and waving her arms.

"Clark!" she called out before turning back to the fire in front of me. "He's coming to help us."

"As nice as that is I'd rather not try to get roasted before he gets here." I told her. She took off her jacket and placed it over our heads and we tried to jump through the fire. We got knocked to the ground and I quickly removed myself from the jacket that had been set ablaze. Chloe quickly knocked her jacket off and we got to our feet. We tried for the door, but the door burst into flames.

"Oh God!" I turned and looked at the fire behind us.

"I hope Clark's faster than most people." I told her as the fire surrounded us.

"Oh my God!"

"Chloe! Ashlee!" Suddenly, the fire died down and I looked at it confused.

"Ashlee! Chloe! You okay?" Clark asked from behind us.

"Clark!" Chloe turned to Clark and hugged him tightly as he and I looked around at the charred office.

* * *

"The Torch torched. How's that for dramatic irony?" Clark asked causing Chloe to glare at him. "Just trying to get you to smile."

"This is more than just arson, Clark. It's like the fire knew what we were doing." Chloe told him.

"And you believe Coach Walt was somehow controlling it?" Clark asked her.

"Look at the facts. Principal Kwan launches an investigation into the cheating scandal, Coach Walt tries to fry him in his car. Then one of his players comes forward and he threatens them all with pyrotechnic sprinklers. Ashlee and I are about to print that picture and the Torch goes up in flames." Chloe pointed out.

"What, now you think he's behind the cheating scandal!? Come on, Chloe." Clark told her.

"She has a point Clark." I told him. "Coach Walt is obsessed with winning his 200th game so him helping players pass the test isn't such a stretch so he can secure his position is high school sport history."

"Do you have another copy of the picture?" Clark asked her.

"No, it's kind of hard to recover the files." Chloe told him.

"You don't have any proof." Clark told her. Chloe sighed and I thought for a moment.

"Trevor Chapell." Chloe and I said together.

"What about him?" Clark asked us.

"I'm sure he's the one who talked to Kwan about the cheating. He want to talk. I know it. But he's still scared to talk to me. But I think he might open up to you." Chloe told him.

* * *

That night I joined Clark in going to the Beanery so I could take Lana home after her shift..

"Well, if it isn't Smallville's latest football star and my favorite cousin." Lana said when she saw us.

"I'm your only cousin." I reminded her.

"Less competition for you then." she joked.

"Let's see how I do tomorrow night before we start calling me a star." Clark told her. "Hey, have you seen Trevor tonight?"

"No, he hasn't been in." she told him.

"How are things going here?" Clark asked her.

"Today is one of those days I just want to scream." Lana said.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think it's cool you go this job." Clark complimented.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry I'm not gonna get to see you play tomorrow. New girl gets the worst shifts. So, can I get you anything?" she asked us.

"Uh, maybe a cup of coffee." Clark told her.

"Nothing for me. I actually want to sleep tonight." I said.

"One coffee coming right up." Lana smiled.

"Thanks." he said before she walked away and we joined Lex who'd been sitting behind Lana.

"Rumor has it Clark Kent joined the football team." Lex commented as I moved to a seat next to him.

"Rumor's true." Clark said turning and showing off the jersey before sitting down.

"Congratulations. Your dad must be thrilled." Lex said.

"Actually, he freaked out. Told me I couldn't play. I'm surprised with my dad. I mean, he claims I should make my own decisions, but then when I do he shuts me down." Clark complained.

"Ah, and you're out late, waiting for him to go to bed so you could avoid the uncomfortable silence that greets you when you get home." Lex assumed, but it sounded more like he knew.

"How did you know?" Clark asked him.

"Luthors wrote the book on uncomfortable silences." Lex told him and we both smiled.

"Why are you out so late?" Lex asked me.

"Just waiting for the working girl so we can go home." I told him.

"What are you working on?" Clark asked him.

"Trying to figure out which poor bastard should get the ax." Lex groaned. "My father wants me to cut twenty percent of my workforce."

"Any way around it?" Clark asked.

"Once my father's made his mind up, he's not easy to turn around." Lex said.

"If it makes you guys feel any better, you should have seen the look on my aunt's face when I took this job not that I was eavesdropping or anything." Lana told them placing their drinks on the table before sitting on the arm of Clark's chair.

"Mom really wanted you to work at the shop with her." I told her.

"I guess we're all in the same boat." Clark said motioning to himself, Lex and Lana.

"No, no. You both stood your ground and are doing what you want. I caved." Lex said before lifting his coffee mug in a salute. "You two have inspired me."

"Oh yeah joining the football team and pouring some coffee. We're a couple of real rebels." Clark said rolling his eyes.

"Long live the revolution." Lana added.

"Cheers." Lex said before sipping his drink, getting whipped cream on his nose and upper lip.

"How is it?" Lana asked him hopeful as he wiped the cream off his face.

"It's perfect." Lex told her with a smile.

"Okay." Lana smiled before walking away.

"Now be honest, is that even what you ordered?" I asked him.

"Not even close." he answered dryly.

* * *

The next night, I was sitting next to Chloe watching the game when we heard Mrs. Kent calling to us.

"Chloe! Ashlee!"

"Hi, Mrs. Kent! Hi, Mr. Kent!" Chloe waved to them with a smile.

"Hey Mr. and Mrs. Kent." I greeted as they sat down.

"Smallville's resident cynic have a change of heart?" Mrs. Kent asked Chloe.

"Well, I decided to put my personal politics aside to support my friends." Chloe told her.

"Yes, we're trying the same philosophy." Mrs. Kent said looking at Mr. Kent.

"Where's Clark?" Mr. Kent asked us.

"I don't know. I was supposed to meet him before the game, but he didn't show. I thought he was with you guys." Chloe told them and they both began looking around trying to find Clark. Mr. Kent eventually got up and went to the field when he couldn't find Clark with Chloe and I following him.

"Join the club. I need him out here. I guess he doesn't have what it takes to be a winner, huh?" Coach Walt asked Mr. Kent as we got down to the field before walking away. Mr. Kent turned and came back towards us.

"Nobody's seen him." Mr. Kent told us.

"I think the coach is lying." Chloe told him.

"What's going on here, Chloe?" Mr. Kent asked.

"We don't know, but Coach has been acting really weird." I told him leaving out the whole fire situation.

"All right, I'll check the locker room, you two check the school." he told us and we left for the school. About thirty minutes later, firemen and other emergency response people were all over the place. The school had caught fire and Coach Walt had died in it. I smiled at Clark who was talking to his dad.


	4. X-Ray

I was sitting in the Beanery reading a book when I felt someone sit next to me. I smiled at the familiar face.

"Hey, stranger. Hear you've been busy," I said motioning my head to a paper someone was reading.

"So everyone's been telling me," Lex said.

"For what it's worth, those of us who know you know you didn't do it. Besides, why would you need to rob a bank when you have more money than God?" I joked making him chuckle. "That's better."

"What is?" he asked me.

"Your smile. Makes you look innocent," he chuckled and I joined him. "Are there any leads on who really robbed that bank?"

"None, but everyone saw me running from the bank," he told me and I thought about what it could mean.

"Well, like I said, it's a good thing we know you then."

"Yeah, it's nice that you and Clark don't think I could have done this even though he saw whoever it was."

"He saw them?" I asked tilting my head curiously.

"Yeah, reports say the robber threw him through a window."

"Is he okay?"

"Don't worry, he doesn't have a scratch on him."

"There's something different about Clark," I mumbled.

"What do you mean?" he asked me his eyes seeming to soak up everything he saw and heard.

"Just little things I've noticed, I guess," I told him. "Makes one wonder what else is... different... about the people we're surrounded by." I stared at my still open book on the table while my thoughts wandered.

"Why do I get the feeling you won't be able to finish that book?" he asked me and I smiled.

"Cause you're perceptive?" I asked him. "We're all hiding something, Lex. Sometimes for our safety, sometimes for others." He just stared at me before nodding.

"Very true."

* * *

When Lana and I walked into the house after taking pictures for my next article, mom was sitting at the counter looking over some papers.

"Hey, mom, what's up?" I asked her.

"Just looking through bills. How was school?" she asked giving me a side hug.

"Same old, same old. 1+1 and all that," I told her placing my bag on the ground.

"That doesn't go there," she told me without looking and I just shook my head.

"Can I get a drink before you start raining on me?" I asked her. "Please?"

"Once you take your bag to your room I'll stop raining," I rolled my eyes before grabbing my bag and showing her that I was taking it to my room. I dropped my bag on my bed before going back downstairs.

"Where's Lana?" I asked mom.

"Garage. She seems to think we need to organize it," she told me.

"Maybe that could be her thing," I suggested.

"Why don't you go help her," she told me.

"Cause organizing isn't my thing," I said.

"How about you do it anyway." She smiled at me before motioning her head to the door. I sighed before doing as she said. "Love you."

"Love you."

* * *

After a few hours or working in the garage, mom walked up to us with an old friend trailing behind her.

"Lana, Ash, you have a visitor," I smiled at the familiar brunette as mom went back to the house.

"Hey, Lana. Hey Ash," Tina greeted smiling at the pair of us.

"Hey, long time no see," I greeted.

"Tina, I didn't see you at school today. Is everything okay?" Lana asked her.

"Yeah. My mom's not feeling well. But she's better so..." Tina said before looking down at her feet then a box. "So you quit cheerleading and Nell banishes you to the garage? And what about you?"

"She's got clutter issues. I'm trying to help resolve them," Lana told her.

"And I was kicked out of the house until its done," I told her.

"Has she forgiven you for quitting the squad?" Tina asked Lana.

"Not yet," Lana said and I placed my hand on her arm.

"She will," I told her.

"Well, at least now you have some more time for you unpopular friends," Tina said.

"Okay, even I agree with that one," I told Lana pointing at Tina.

"Neither of you're unpopular," Lana told us. "Besides, what happened to a girl who didn't care what people thought about her?" Lana asked Tina, giving her a look.

"She went to high school," Tina said and we smiled at her.

"At least your mom doesn't try to run your life," Lana said.

"And now I have to agree with Lana," I mumbled making Lana laugh.

"You know, you're lucky that Nell cares about you. I mean, if something were to happen to my mom, I don't know anybody that would take me in. I'd probably be shipped off to a foster home or something," Tina laughed lightly.

"Thanks for that burst of cheer," Lana laughed.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Tina asked. "You two have the perfect life."

"You want it? You can have it," Lana told her.

"But even then some shoes are bigger to fit in than you'd like," I told her smiling at the box I was digging into.

"Then how about I settle for the outfits," Tina suggested and we laughed. "Wouldn't it be cool if we were all sister? If anything happened to my mom, do you think that Nell would adopt me?"

"Tina, nothing's gonna happen to your mom," Lana told her.

"How about we look at brighter subjects like how happy we are that we don't have to wear some of these fashions." We laughed loudly before moving the conversation to other topics.

* * *

Some hours later Lana and I were almost done with the garage. She blew on our last box before opening it. She smiled at the old pom-poms she placed them next to the box before pulling out an old snow globe. She spun it around in her hand before placing it next to the pom-poms.

"Whose were these?" I asked her curiously.

"My mothers." I looked at her sad smiled before pulling some old clothes out of the box. Lana pulled out a book and opened it with a smile on her face. As she read her face fell.

"Lana? What is it?" I asked her confused. She stormed out of the garage and I followed her into the house.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Mom asked Lana, just as confused as I was.

"You lied to me about my mother." Lana stormed to her room, slamming the book down on the counter, and I picked up the book. I opened it and read some of it before shaking my head.

"She said this was her moms," I told mom handing her the diary. She opened it and read the page before sighing. "Maybe telling her the whole truth would have been a good idea?" I went up to Lana's room only to find she'd slipped out while mom and I'd been talking. I hit the door jam and went back downstairs to tell my mother.

* * *

That night I waited with mom on the porch when Lana finally came home.

"Lana," I looked up to see Lana staring at us from the top of the steps. "I didn't lie to you. I told you your mother would have been proud of you and she would have. She loved you."

"You told me a fairy tale about a woman who led the perfect life. That life was a lie. You said she loved cheerleading. She hated it but was afraid to quit. She didn't even want to stay in Smallville. She wanted to see the world," Lana repeated the words from the diary nearly word for word.

"What should I have told you? Your mother was unhappy?" Mom asked her.

"At least it would have been the truth," I commented and she threw her look to me.

"I told you what I thought you could handle," Mom said turning back to Lana. "Your mother was like any other teenager. She had her ups and her downs."

"I feel like I spent my entire life trying to measure up to a Laura Potter who didn't exist," Lana told her.

"You're reading a diary of a 17-year-old girl," Mom reminded her. "It's a snapshot. It's one time in her life."

"It's like I wrote this myself," Lana told us rubbing her hand on the diary. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders squeezed lightly.

"The truth is, your mother was the brightest, most beautiful girl in her class. Do you know she was picked to give the graduation speech?" Lana shook her head no. "I guess the diary ended before that happened. You should have heard the speech she gave that day."

"What did she say?" Lana asked her hopeful.

"Everything had been bubbling up inside her for 18 years. She said she felt suffocated in Smallville," mom told us and I looked at Lana.

"Do you have a copy?" I asked mom.

"No, but I'll never forget the first line. I never made a difference here, but maybe my children can."

"And you will," I told Lana. "I know it."

* * *

At school the next day, I was talking with Lana and Whitney in class before leaving to see Tina.

"Lana! Ashlee!" Tina called out to us with a grin on her face.

"I swear that's girl's got you lojacked," Whitney murmured.

"How do you like the sweater?" Tina asked Lana and I tried to hide my smile at her enthusiasm.

"It's great. I've got one just like it," Lana mentioned but of course, Tina knew that since she saw Lana in it yesterday.

"I know. I got it at the same store. I've been going on this shopping spree," Tina told us. "Hey, look. I even found this emerald necklace in the antique store." She pulled out an emerald necklace that was in the shape of a diamond.

"Why am I not surprised?" Whitney asked drawing Tina's attention. "See you at lunch." He kissed Lana and turned to leave.

"Hey, are you okay? I stopped by your house earlier and Nell said you weren't in the best mood so..." Tina said, but Lana waved her off as we walked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Lana told her.

"Good, cause I need a favor," Tina told us.

"Shoot," I said.

"My mom is moving to Metropolis full-time but see, she doesn't want to pull me out of school. So I was thinking I can move in with you guys and Nell." I shared a look with Lana, both of us taken back by her words.

"For how long?" Lana asked her.

"I don't know. A couple months," Tine guessed. "I mean, my mom would pay you guys. Trust me, money is not a problem. Just name your price. I could even get a horse. Uh, we could go riding together. I mean, wouldn't that be cool?"

"Yeah, uh, just give us some time to think about it," Lana told her.

"Are you sure your mom's okay with this?" I asked her. "I know my mom would freak if I suggested something like this."

"Of course. She knows that we're all best friends. It was her idea," Tina told us and I shared a look with Lana. This probably wouldn' be a good idea with my abnormalities.

"Well, just let me run it by Nell first. She's kind of particular," Lana tried telling her.

"Nell loves me," Tina insisted. "Look, I don't understand. I thought that you'd be happy. I mean, people even say that we look alike Lana. We could be sisters."

"I'm not sure it's a good idea," I said placing me between the two of them.

"Oh. Okay, I see, so it was all a lie?" Tina asked getting angry. "I mean, you were just pretending to like me and then when I come to you in my hour of need you're just gonna blow me off?"

"Tina, calm down," Lana told her reaching out to touch her, but I grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No, you should have said yes. It would have been perfect." Tina walked away from us angrily and I pulled Lana with me down the hallway.

"Once she calms down she'll see staying with her family is the for the best," I told her.

* * *

That night, I was sitting on the porch waiting for Lana to come back from talking with her parents when Clark suddenly showed up.

"What the hell?" I asked staring at him wide-eyed.

"Ashlee," he looked shocked to see me before seeming to remember why he was here. "Where's Lana?"

"She's talking with her parents. How did you just show up out of nowhere?" I asked him.

"Tina wants to kill Lana," he told me avoiding the subject successfully. I jumped up and stood in front of him.

"Then what are we waiting for? An invitation?" I asked him grabbing his arm. "You bullet us there."

"I'm not a bullet," he said and I just gave him a look. He sighed before picking me up. The next thing I knew we were in the cemetery and Clark was gently placing me on my feet. "You okay?"

"As soon as my organs catch up with us, sure," We started looking around for Lana or Tina when a surprising voice popped up.

"Clark, Ashlee, what are you two doing here?" I turned and stared at Whitney confused for a moment.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing. Where's Lana?" Clark asked him.

"I don't know. Nell said she came out here, but I can't find her," Whitney told us and Clark started backing away.

"You never showed up at my house," I said trying to put two and two together.

"What's the matter, Clark? Not feeling well?" Whitney asked getting closer. Clark doubled over and I knelt down next to him.

"Clark? Are you okay?" I asked him confused when he suddenly pushed me down as Whitney hit him with a pipe.

"Tina, where's Lana?" Clark asked him.

"Clark that's Whit..." My eyes widened and I stared at Whitney. "No freaking way."

"Tina doesn't exist anymore!" Whitney hit Clark with the pipe again sending him flying into a tombstone.

"Clark!" Tina hit me with the pipe and I flew into a tree and cried out in pain.

"I know what' it's like to live with a secret. I know what happened to your mother," Clark told her.

"That was a lifetime ago. And don't worry about Lana. You'll be joining her very soon." Tina took off the letterman jacket and threw it aside. "I thought I killed you once. I'm not gonna make the same mistake twice." Tina swung the pipe at Clark, but Clark moved out of the way and ended up behind her.

"Where's Lana?" Tina spun around and swinging the pipe again. Clark ducked and grabbed Tina, slamming her against a tombstone.

"Who are you?" Tina asked him. She got up and pushed Clark against another tombstone. Clark grabbed her and threw her to the ground. I got up and moved towards them. I knelt down next to Tina and grabbed her neck and squeezed.

"Where is my cousin?!" I asked her. "What did you do to her?!"

"She's dead." I squeezed her throat tighter and Clark tried to grab my hand. I glanced at it before looking back at Tina.

"Ashlee, this isn't the way. We can't kill her!"

"Watch me." I squeezed her throat tighter and heard her struggling to breathe. "We can't find her if you kill Tina!"

"Tina won't help us!" I told him. "Unless she has the proper motivation."

"I can find Lana, but you have to let her go." I glanced at Clark and saw his eyes widen. "Your eyes! They're completely white!" I released Tina's neck and she morphed from Whitney back to Tina.

"If you can find her then find her," I told him. "Now." Clark stood up and looked around.

"Lana!" He rushed to a mausoleum and I followed as fast as I could. I got to the mausoleum in time for Clark to come back out with Lana in his arms.

"Lana," I whispered pushing her hair out of her face gently. "Let's get you home."

* * *

After the ambulance was called I stood with my arm wrapped around Lana's waist holding her to me tightly, my head rested on her shoulder. The police were still taking statements from all of us about what had happened in the cemetery. I kept certain things to myself, Clark's abilities, my nearly killing Tina, etc. I felt Clark's eyes on me and turned to him. I turned to him and watched him before Chloe made her way to him. They spoke for a moment before she made her way to us.

"Lana, um, I did some digging," Chloe said before giving Lana a tape that said Graduation Address 1977.

"Oh, my God. How did you find this?" Lana asked her impressed.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you, and it looks like you've had enough trauma for one night." They shared a small laugh.

"Chloe, thank you," Lana said sincerely.

"No problem." Chloe turned and left and I smiled at Lana.

"Now you can know your mom when she was your age. Or at least get a glimpse into her head." I nudged her shoulder and she smiled at me holding the tape close to her chest.

"Do I really want to hear everything though?" she asked me and I gave her a look.

"This is your mom, Lana," I reminded her. "This is one of the only ways you might be able to understand her." She smiled at me before Whitney ran up to us and hugged Lana.

"I'm fine, Whitney," Lana assured him as he looked her over. She grabbed his hand and pulled her into the house. I looked at Clark and his parents before sighing and going to them.

"I don't know how you saw where she was, but thank you," I told him.

"You would've killed Tina without knowing where she was. Why?" Clark asked me and I glanced at his parents.

"In a heartbeat," I told him. "I would do the same for you, Chloe, Pete, my mom, and Lex. I would kill if it meant protecting the ones I care about."

"Why?"

"Look, I don't know what you are, but I know it can't be human. There's no way you'd be able to see Lana in the mausoleum or race us from here to the cemetery if you were." He was about to say something while his parents shared a look. "I don't care what you are. We all have our secrets. That's yours and you know mine."

"Your eyes..."

"Go white when I use some of my abilities that are more physical than mental," I told him. "I'll keep your secret if you keep mine." I held my hand out for Clark to shake. He looked at his dad before taking my hand in his.

"Deal."

* * *

I sat in a truck outside the house as it rained with Lana. I watched as she put the tape in the player and pressed play.

"As principal of Smallville High, I would like to introduce the valedictorian of the class of 1977, Miss Laura Potter."

"Ladies and gentlemen, graduating seniors, good evening. These familiar words open every graduation address at Smallville High, and I use them deliberately because the rest of my speech will not be for reassurance." I scooted towards Lana and put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her down to mine as she teared up. "I never made a difference here. But maybe my children can. When I first came to Smallville High, I was full of hope. I thought the world was going to be different for me. But, of course, it wasn't."


	5. Cool

I walked downstairs to see mom reading something.

"Hey, what are you reading?" I asked her.

"The Secret Life of Bees," she told me and I gave her a confused look.

"Can bees have a secret life?" I asked confused. She gave me a look and I laughed before Lana joined us.

"Hey, I didn't see you att he party last night."

"I passed up the chance to freeze my butt off for a nice warm night in bed," I told her getting breakfast for us.

"You draw anything good?" Lana asked.

"I take some offense to that," I told her. "All my stuff is good." She laughed lightly at my words. "I was just drawing things from my mind last night. I can't get these images out of my mind."

"What kind of images?" Mom asked me worried.

"It's nothing serious, Mom. Promise," I told her. "I've just been getting flashes of images ever since..." I glanced at Lana.

"Ever since Tina?" Lana guessed and I nodded.

"Could it have something to do with where you came from?" Mom asked me putting her book down.

"It's possible, but how would any of us know?" I asked looking between them both. "It's not like my parents reported me missing, is it?"

"Ash..." Lana started.

"I'm fine," I said grabbing my stuff and my quick breakfast. "If you want a ride Lana, I'm leaving now."

"Ashlee!" Mom called after me as I stormed out of the house.

* * *

After school, I sat at the Beanery with Lana as she read a brochure for an exhibit and I continued to draw.

"That's a great exhibit." We both looked up to see Lex standing next to our table. "I caught it in St. Petersburg."

"Whitney and I are going to Metropolis tomorrow. I thought we'd check it out," Lana told him.

"Ah, trying to give the quarterback some culture?" Lex asked and I hit him with the back of my hand lightly.

"Lex, come on."

"It was his idea," Lana corrected him.

"He figures one afternoon at the museum, he's off the hook for six months," Lex told her and this time I used my sketchbook to hit him.

"For someone who wants people to keep an open mind about who he is, you're pretty quick to judge other people," I said.

"Hey, Whitney!" One of the football players called out as Whitney entered the Beanery.

"What can I say? I just think you're with the wrong guy," Lex told her before going to sit down. Whitney soon joined us and I made room for him.

"Hey. Everything okay?" Whitney asked.

"I was just checking out some stuff for us to do tomorrow. Metropolis, remember?" Lana asked him with a large smile.

"Actually, some of the guys are pooling together and getting the fight on pay-per-view. It's tomorrow," Whitney told her and I shook my head.

"And you gave them your money already."

"Yeah. Hey, we'll go next weekend, okay?" Whitney asked her and I looked up from my work to see her looking down. "I promise. I'm really sorry, Lana."

"Culture can wait," Lana told him with a smile.

"I'll make it up to you. See ya." Whitney left to join his friends with a grin on his face.

"What a jerk," I mumbled, but of course Lana heard me.

"He's not a jerk, Ash," she said and I gave her a look.

"You're right," I corrected. "He's an ass. He knew you were looking forward to this weekend and he still bailed on you."

"He just wants to see the fight," she defended.

"Yeah, that's a tough choice," I said sarcastically. "The fight or your girlfriend's happiness." I held up my hands as though I was weighing the options like a scale.

"Ashlee, stop."

"I say you need a guy who can put you before a fight on pay-per-view," I told her.

"Ashlee." I shrugged my shoulders at her tone.

"You know I'm right," I told her before Clark stood in front of us.

"Hey, Lana, Ashlee. Lana, you busy?" Clark asked my cousin.

"Completely swamped," Lana joked. "That's why I'm sitting in a coffee shop attempting to wade through a Russian classic."

"Oh." Clark looked down at his feet and I laughed lightly.

"That was a joke, Clark," Lana told him.

"Good. Cause there's this thing tomorrow night," Clark started telling her. She glanced at me and I gave her a look with a smile.

"Define thing."

"It's a concert. Radiohead, to be exact and I got a couple tickets," Clark told her showing us the pair of tickets.

"Wow."

"Where'd you get these?" I asked him, taking the tickets from his hand.

"A friend," Clark said and I smiled. Lex. "Something came up at the last minute, and I was wondering if you'd like to go, you know, with me."

"I'd..." Lana hesitated.

"Just as friends," Clark clarified

"Definitely. I'd love to."

* * *

"I can't believe you're going on a date with Clark," I said to Lana with a smile on my face as we walked through the halls.

"It's not a date," Lana sighed.

"Denial," I sang softly as people passed us by.

"How do you think he even got the tickets?" Lana asked and I gave her a look.

"Lex," we said together.

"Why would he even bother to give him these tickets?" Lana asked.

"He said it yesterday, didn't he?" I asked her. "He thinks you're with the wrong guy so he's helping his friend, who he thinks is the right guy."

"And how would he know who the right guy is?" Lana asked me and I shrugged.

"Rich man's intuition?" We laughed before walking inside the school.

* * *

That night I was sitting on Lana's bed as she looked through her clothes for something to wear.

"You know, obsessively going through your wardrobe is something girls do on a first date with a guy they really like," I teased Lana and she just gave me a look.

"Ashlee, this isn't a date," she sighed. "I'm just getting ready for a night out with a friend."

"Says the girl looking through her entire wardrobe for something new to wear for Clark."

"Are you going to continue harassing me or help me?" She asked me. I got up and took the outfit she was holding and tossed it back into her closet. "Hey!"

"I'm not letting you go out on your first date with Clark in that," I told her.

"It's not a date," Lana called after me as I sorted through her clothes. I pulled out her new long sleeved pink sweater and jeans with a butterfly beaded with a trail showing where it had flown. On the bottom of the leg was a beaded flower with a leaf half showing and a short stem going off the end of the pant leg. The beading was done in shades of light blues, pinks, and purples.

"Here," I said with a smile.

"I like it," she said smiling at me.

"And it's very you," I told her.

"What do you mean very me?" she asked him.

"Very safe and innocent," I said. "Very not date material." She laughed at me and I just smiled.

"What would I do without you?" she asked me.

"Stress over all your most amazing outfits," I said before laughing and going back to my room. I gathered some simple art supplies and my leftover homework in my bag and went to the living room.

"Hey, Mom, I'm headed to the Beanery," I told her.

"Homework?" She asked me.

"I'm going to finish it there and then do some sketching," I told her.

"Ok, be safe," she told me and I nodded. "Love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

I sat at the Beanery, homework done and packed away before I started sketching the people around me enjoying their night. It was a full house tonight which wasn't that much of a surprise really. This was the local hangout for both teens and adults, mostly teens though. But the two people I never thought I'd see tonight, where the two I was looking at confused through the window. I watched Lana walk inside alone as Clark left her, and the limo, behind.

"Lana!" I called out to her and she joined me at my small table. "Why are you here and not going to Metropolis?"

"Clark heard about something happening to Jenna and asked me to wait here," she told me. "He said it was complicated and he wanted me to be safe."

"Well, seeing as last week you nearly suffocated inside a mausoleum, I'm with Clark on this one," I said while keeping my promise to Clark.

"That was one person," she said and I gave her a look.

"Still, whatever happened to Jenna can be out there and neither of us wants you hurt." I started digging through my bag and pulled out her book.

"Why do you have this?" She asked confused.

"Precaution, in case you'd gotten cold feet," I teased with a smile. She opened her book to the page she was last reading and settled in.

* * *

About half an hour later, I looked up as Pete walked in with a girl. I waved at him as a greeting. He found a table with his date before walking to join us.

"Shouldn't you be fifth-row center right about now?" Pete asked Lana.

"Hey, Pete," she greeted with a smile.

"Where's Clark?" Pete asked looking around.

"We saw that news report about Jenna, and he suddenly said he had to run off,"

Pete: I heard that, too. I always thought that Sean was a good guy. I guess we don't know people as well as we think," Pete said.

"You've been friends with Clark for a long time," Lana said before trying to get more information about Clark. "Is he always so..."

"Clark-like?" Pete offered and she smiled.

"Yeah."

"Sometimes he's totally there and you think you know everything about him, and then there's this part that's..." This time Pete was at a loss of words on how to describe Clark.

"Mysterious." This time I offered up a word.

"Yeah, that's it," Pete agreed. "Clark Kent international man of mystery."

"Well, whatever it was seemed important," Lana said.

"I can't believe there's anything more important to him than you," Pete told her and I saw her realize how much Clark might have felt about her and that this was actually a date for him.

"Lana!" She didn't have time to contemplate on it long as Whitney moved to us at the table. "What are you doing here?"

"Just reading and hanging with Ash," she told him.

"Pretty dressed up to be digging into a book with your cousin," Whitney said.

"What an I say," I said. "I'm a high maintenance girl."

"I'll catch up with you later," Pete told us.

"Pete, why don't you take your date for a spin in the limo?" Lana offered and I sighed before putting my things away.

"Oh, she's not a date. She's just my friend," Pete told her with a smile.

"That's starting to sound familiar," I muttered and Lana gave me a look.

"Either way, I won't be needing it," she told him.

"Ooh! Thanks!" Pete said going back to his date.

"What were you doing in a limo?" Whitney asked looking between the two of us.

"Just hanging out with a friend. Could you take me home?" She asked me.

"I thought that was where this was heading," I sighed before getting up.

"I'll take you," Whitney offered.

"We'll be okay," Lana assured him before I followed her out of the house.

* * *

I drove back home in silence with Lana next to me.

"Lana..."

"Don't," she told me.

"You're going to have to talk to him about the date."

"It wasn't a date," she nearly yelled at me.

"Ok, sorry," I said holding one of my hands up in defense. "Why was I getting the vibe you didn't tell him about your not date with Clark?"

"Because I didn't."

"Why didn't you tell your boyfriend you were going to hang out with him?" I asked her.

"Because he'd overreact," she told me and I gasped when I noticed Sean appear on the road in my headlights. "Ashlee, look out!" He just stood in the middle of the road and I swerved to miss him making us crash on the side of the road.

"Lana, are you okay?" I asked her while taking a mental note of my own injuries.

"My ankle hurts. I think I twisted it. Where did Sean go?" She asked me and I turned to look at her before looking outside the shattered rear window.

"I don't know, but we've got to get out of here," I said before getting out of the demolished car and moving to her side while keeping an eye out for Sean. She opened the door and I helped her out before going to where I knew a safe place was.

"Lex's house is just down the road," I told her. "Once we get there we'll be safe."

* * *

When we got to the Luthor house, we were shown to where Lex. I supported Lana all the way into his office where I was surprised to see the Kents.

"Lana!" Mrs. Kent was immediately at our side helping me get Lana to a seat.

"She hurt her ankle when we crashed trying to avoid Sean," I told her before sitting next to my cousin.

"Where's Clark?" Mrs. Kent immediately asked us.

"He took off earlier in the night," Lana told her.

"After hearing about how Sean, who just ran us off the road by playing chicken with my car, was wanted for the murder of one of our classmates," I told her.

"This kid sounds dangerous," Lex mentioned while bringing us hot chocolate.

"Thanks," I said taking a cup while he offered one to Lana.

"I've got the gate down and the alarm on. You're staying here until they find Sean. Sorry about your date," I gave Lex a look, happy about Whitney not being here. "What?"

"No, and I'm still getting the answering machine at home," I heard Mr. Kent say.

"Remind me I don't have to worry," Mrs. Kent told him.

"He's Clark, Martha," he reminded her in a whisper before the lights started to dim.

* * *

Lex came back into the room and handed flashlights to Mr. and Mrs. Kent.

"Here you go."

"Thanks. I'll go check the front gate," Mr. Kent said leaving the room.

"It should be secure," Lex called after him.

"I'll check the generator. Where is it?" Mrs. Kent asked him.

"It's on the side of the house, but I can get it," Lex called after her as she grabbed her jacket and went outside. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Their farmers," I reminded him. "They don't like being idle in a crisis."

"What if Sean is out there?" He asked me.

"He might be, but I've got a feeling we don't have to worry about them."

"And why's that?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"Woman's intuition?" I offered.

* * *

The next day I had to file a police report about my car being on the side of the road which means I had to miss class for half the day. When I stepped out of the police station and looked up to see Lex leaning on his car.

"This is a strange place for you to be," I said with a smile.

"Not really." I gave him a confused look before leaning on his car beside him.

"Why are you here, Lex?" I asked him.

"I want to know more about your intuition about the Kents," he told me and I sighed.

"Lex..."

"Clark's my friend. I just want to know more about him," he told me.

"Then ask him," I told him.

"I've tried that and surprisingly he didn't tell me anything," he said.

"That's his choice," I reminded him.

"But why lie to me about it?" he asked.

"Not all secrets are easy to tell people," I told him. "Even I have one that only my family know about."

"What is it?" he asked me and I sighed.

"When I'm ready to tell you, I will," I told him. "Until then, you'll just have to wait."

"Promise you'll tell me. One day," I said.

"One day, Lex, I promise to tell you my secret. But, for now," I got off his car. "I've got to go back to school." I walked away from Lex and towards the Highschool.


	6. Hourglass

After being convinced by Lana, I decided to do my community service at the local nursing home.

"Why am I here again?" I asked her as I put books on the cart she was pushing.

"Because this is required," Lana laughed at me.

"No, the time volunteering is required. Here specifically is not," I corrected. She gave me a look with a smile and I laughed a bit. I loaded the last book and she pushed the cart out of the room. I followed her, looking down at a book in my hand, and bumped into her.

"Sorry," I apologized before looking up to see Clark and Pete.

"Hi, Clark, Pete," Lana greeted, her smile growing larger at the sight of the two boys. Well, one of the boys in particular.

"Lana, I didn't know you were volunteering here," Clark said and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right," Pete said.

"That makes two of us," I told him.

"For a couple of weeks now," Lana told him. "Both of us. Are you part of the companion program?"

"Yeah, I'm reading with Cassandra," Clark told us.

"She's an interesting woman," Lana told him.

"Some people say she's psychic." The pair shared a smile and silent laugh before she moved on. I shook my head at them before following my sister.

* * *

I followed Lana to her companion before headed to mine. I knocked on the door and smiled at the older man inside.

"Miss Potter, lovely to see you again," Mr. Pace greeted. He was sitting in one of his chairs staring out the window. Anai Pace was a former repairman who enjoyed his classical music and was a bit of a grammar nazi.

"How are you doing today, Mr. Pace?" I asked sitting next to him on the opposite chair.

"I've been better," he sighed.

"I found an adventure novel for you today in the library." I handed him a book that I'd thought he'd enjoy with a smile on my face. He took it and read the back cover.

"I believe you're right, Miss Potter." I looked behind me to the door before pulling out a smaller book. "What's that?"

"Just another book." He took it from me and laughed. It was a compact grammar book that writers or students would carry with them.

"Thank you."

"Better keep it from those thieves you were telling me about," I warned half-heartedly.

* * *

I walked into the Beanery with Chloe, Lana, and Clark talking about her missing old guy.

"It's not your fault, Lana," Clark told my cousin.

"Do you know anyone else who's lost an entire old person in a wheelchair?" Lana asked him.

"Nope, that's pretty impressive, even by Smallville standards," Chloe told him.

"Maybe he was kidnapped?" Clark suggested.

"Who'd want to kidnap Harry?" Lana asked. "Harry's just a harmless old man."

"Maybe a koi turned into a piranha and ate him," Chloe suggested.

"Really?" I asked laughing lightly.

"You asked for my help," Chloe reminded us. "I'm just thinking outside of the box."

"I like your theory." I got a confused look before looking behind me to see a kid looking at the two of us.

"You know, you might wanna work on your eavesdropping technique," Chloe told him.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm, uh, I'm new in town. I just heard this is where young people congregate." I turned back around and tried to hold back my laughter.

"Yeah, we congregate here often," Chloe said sarcastically.

"I'm Clark Kent." Clark shook the man's hand. "The rude one is Chloe and these are..."

"Lana Lang and Ashlee Potter."

"And how do you know that?" I asked him.

"The name tags were a big clue." I looked to see my name tag on the jacket I'd worn laying across the back of my chair. "So, uh, good luck finding your missing old person."

* * *

I stood next to Lana staring at the Wall next to Lana. They'd told me about the Wall of Weird, but I'd never seen it until now. I'd never seen my naked form hugging Lana's crying one on the cover of Time magazine on it.

"Chloe, what..." I didn't bother turning around to look at Clark.

"She's not back yet," Lana told him.

"Lana, Ashlee, what are you going here?"

"Chloe called us too. She said she had some info on Harry." Lana had found out Harry was a convicted killer when he was 17 from. "When we got here we started looking around."

"Let me guess," I started annoyed at what I was seeing. "This is the Wall of Weird."

"Chloe thinks all of the strange things in Smallville started with the meteor shower," Clark explained.

"How about you Clark?" Lana asked him. "Do you believe that?"

"Yeah, I guess, I do."

"Does that include us?" I clenched my fists to stop myself from ripping the picture off the wall. "We're next to the three-headed calf and the monster from Crater Lake."

"This stuff on the wall has nothing to do with the two of you," Clark said and I snorted.

"You don't know that," I whispered and Lana took my hand in hers.

"Remember when you said people keep their darkest secrets hidden?" Lana asked him. "Mine is out there for all the world to see. It's hard when everyone knows your tragedy. They treat you differently. Like you're gonna break."

"I'm sure they just feel bad and wanna help," he said trying to reassure us.

"I know," Lana agreed. "But all they do is remind you of the most painful part of your life. How would that make you feel, Clark?" He thought about it for a moment.

"Like I wish I could go back in time and erase that moment forever."

"Not everything from that moment," I corrected looking at him.

"I thought high school would be different," Lana scoffed. "That I could finally start putting it behind me. But everywhere I go there it is. Maybe I should just accept my destiny. All we're ever going to be is a little girl in a fairy-princess costume being hugged by a naked girl who lost her parents."

"I don't see you that way," Clark told her.

"Please remember that you two aren't the only ones in the room."

"I know you don't, Clark," Lana said smiling up at him. "You and Ashlee are the only two who don't."

"Well since I'm the naked girl hugging you in that picture, I kind of have to." Lana laughed and shoved me lightly making me smile at her.

"I couldn't have asked for a better sister."

* * *

The next night, I was with Pete, Clark, and Chloe looking through old newspapers for anything we could find on Harry Volk.

"This is everything I could find on Harry Volk," Chloe sighed after dropping everything she'd found in a pile. "The "Ledger" carried stories on the trial, the murder, the investigation, you name it."

"Is anybody watching this guy?" Pete asked.

"Lana's got an eye on him." The three of us shared looks at Clark's words. "I heard that."

"You psychic now?" I asked him and he gave me a scathing look.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Pete asked.

"I don't know, there's got to be a connection between the people Harry's going after," Clark told us.

"In Zoe Garfield's statement to the police, she said that Harry accused her grandmother of killing his future," Chloe told us.

"That's what Lana said Harry'd said about his teacher. Then he killed his teacher's son in order to kill his teacher's future," I told them before Lana walked in.

"Harry's gone," she told us. "They found his wheelchair out by the koi pond half an hour ago."

"I saw meteor rocks in that pond," Clark told us.

"At least now we know how's he's going the time warp," Chloe mentioned.

"What do you mean?" Lana asked.

"The kid we met at the beanery the other day is Harry Volk. The meteor rocks are, somehow, making him 17 again," I explained to her.

"We gotta figure out who he's gonna kill next," Clark said.

"Clark, take a look at this." Chloe handed him the old newspaper article.

"What is it?" Clark asked her before reading the page.

"It's a list of the jurors that worked on Harry's trial."

"Randolph Gage. Rita Garfield," Clark read off. "He's killing the descendants of the jurors who convicted him."

"Killing their future," I finished.

"Talk about not letting it go," Pete said. Clark continued reading the list before his face changed to one of shock.

"Clark, what is it?" Lana asked him.

"Look at juror number 11." Clark handed the newspaper to her and I moved and looked over her shoulder to see Hiram Kent.

"Hiram Kent. Wasn't that your grandfather?"

"Harry's going to kill my dad."

"Might not just be your dad," I reminded him. "Harry's going after your grandfather's future. That's also you and your mom."

* * *

 **Sorry about not having a lot more happening in this one. I was hoping to focus on her relationship with her friends/family but I couldn't seem to find a good way to work it in.**


End file.
